Definitions

Encryption

Making your data readable only with a key or pass code. Password protection, while useful, is not as secure as encryption. Encryption can be enabled on a computer using software applications such as BitLocker or FileVault.

An email message that may look legitimate (e.g. from your bank) but is really a type of social engineering attempt to acquire sensitive information, such as user id and password. See Email and Web Safety.

PIRN (Personal Information Requiring Notification)

PIRN is an MIT acronym, which is currently equivalent to “personal information” under Massachusetts 201 CMR §17, and is defined in the WISP as a person's first name and last name or first initial and last name in combination with any one or more of the following data elements that relate to such a person:
(a) Social Security number;
(b) driver's license number or state-issued identification card number; or
(c) financial account number, or credit or debit card number, with or without any required security code, access code, personal identification number or password, that would permit access to a resident’s financial account; provided, however, that PIRN shall not include information that is lawfully obtained from publicly available information, or from federal, state or local government records lawfully made available to the general public.

Redaction

Redaction/redacting is the sanitizing (removal) of unnecessary information from a file to get rid of the sensitive or private parts. It is more than obsuring or hiding the information. Redaction can be done with electronic files using tools such as Identity Finder and Adobe Acrobat. It can be done with paper files as well by cutting out or blacking out the information so that it is illegible. More information can be found here.

Shared Server

File server (computer) that provides a location for sharing storage of files with others, so everyone has access to the same version, and individuals don’t need to have data locally or share files via email.